Magnificent Memories from Humble Hovels

Growing up in deep South Texas, Christmas Eve meant attending evening service at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Raymondville, participating in the children’s program presenting the Christmas story according to the King James Bible, and being handed a marvelous brown bag of Valley Citrus, nuts and hard candies as a parting gift for celebrating our common Christian faith.

For the timeframe (70s and 80s) and geographical region, most folks led modest lifestyles compared to the rest of Texas and the larger majority of States in the USA. Christmas was NOT about commerce, ecommerce or anything commercial. It was about worship, and time-honored traditions of faith, family, and fellowship.

The wonderful fragrance of oranges combined with spices and cloves still brings Christmas home for my family, and this year I introduced my children to the art of making orange clove pomanders in lieu of our seasonal crock-pot potpourri. Instructions are included below. We hope you might enjoy this activity and the fantastic seasonal citrus aroma as much as we did!

ribbon (optional, if you wish to hang your pomander from a door frame or tree)

Instructions

If using a ribbon, using desired length, wrap it around the orange, twisting at the base to wrap the orange in quarters. Feed the ends under the ribbon at the top of the orange and tie a simple knot to secure the ribbon in place.

Press cloves through orange peel in decorative patterns. Play around with zesting parts of the peel to create interesting designs.

Combine different peices of fruit in a bowl and use as a centerpiece, or to fragrance an entire room or office.